Corrections

Published: May 19, 2000

An article in Science Times on Tuesday about efforts to keep the International Space Station in its orbit misstated the effects of the atmosphere on its descent. As the space station loses altitude it speeds up, it does not slow down.

The article also referred incorrectly to the pressure of the atmosphere at the space station's orbit, about 200 miles high. That pressure is higher than that created by modern vacuum pumps on earth, not lower.